


See not with the eyes but with the heart

by Written_In_Blue_Ink



Series: Home Stone [1]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: M/M, One-Sided Relationship, but not really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-11
Updated: 2013-03-11
Packaged: 2017-12-04 23:41:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/716389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Written_In_Blue_Ink/pseuds/Written_In_Blue_Ink
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seven times Kunsel saw Zack and what followed after. (Part of the Home Stone AU.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	See not with the eyes but with the heart

The first time Kunsel sees Zack, they're both standing at attention as ShinRa's General delivers the welcoming speech to new cadets. Even wearing the full uniform, he stands out in the crowd, wiggly like an excited puppy at the sight of the Silver General. Kunsel dismisses him as a fanboy who will soon drop from the program and forgets about his existence.

 

The second time Kunsel sees Zack; the other boy is lounging on the bunk below his assigned one. His helmet is gone now, tossed haphazardly onto his bed. Out of the cadet uniform, he stands out even more. His skin is a deep golden color and his deep black hair looks as if he styles it with Thunder materia, but what really catches Kunsel's attention is his wide smile that lights up his whole face and the vivid sky blue of his eyes. He's grateful for the helmet on his head when the full force of them are turned on him and his breath catches. The smiling teenager greets him cheerfully and Kunsel finds himself caught in the hurricane that is Zack Fair.

 

The third time Kunsel sees Zack; he comes to realization. The other teen sticks with him from day one and they see each other every day now. At first, it was a bit annoying. Kunsel hadn't come to ShinRa to make friends; he needs information and he just knows he'll find it here in ShinRa. Digging for information discreetly is difficult with his new shadow. It's not until Zack makes other friends and starts to spend a bit more time with them that Kunsel realizes just how lonely it is without him. He sees Zack with new eyes and, suddenly, it's not so bad to have the enthusiastic boy following along after him.

 

The fourth time Kunsel sees Zack; he’s faced with an embarrassing crisis. They've been cadets for a year now and the SOLDIER exams are quickly coming up. They spend even more time together, studying and sparring. At first, he dismisses the stirring of his body around the other teen, already stressed over his full plate. There's still no information to be found about his mother and the deeper he digs, the more horrified by ShinRa he becomes. In the middle of all that is not when he expected to have a crisis over his relationship with Zack. They're best friends by now; Kunsel can't even imagine him not being around to chatter at him and chase away the loneliness. So when he wakes up in the middle of the night, sweating and achingly hard with Zack's name lodged in his throat, Kunsel is completely unprepared for this development. The object of his ardor snores away on the bottom bunk as he slinks from bed to the communal washroom to take care of his revelation.

 

The fifth time Kunsel sees Zack; the SOLDIER exams are finally over and Zack has beaten his initial expectations. They collapse side by side on Kunsel's bunk, flushed and pleased with themselves. It's odd how well they mesh together despite their differing ideals. Zack wants to be a hero (and while Kunsel may scoff at the idea, somehow he thinks it's perfect for his friend), but Kunsel only wants SOLDIER for the doors it will open for him. (He'd been offered a place with the Turks and that was an experience he wasn't soon to forget.) When their results finally come in, they celebrate together out in the city. Somehow, they end up getting matching piercings in their ears. Zack pesters him about his choice of a stud with a sky blue stone, but Kunsel only smiles mysteriously and tells him to figure it out himself.

 

The sixth time Kunsel sees Zack; he thinks that he must have missed something. Zack's sudden declaration of "I love you, man!" sends his heart to racing. He starts to answer seriously before realizing that Zack probably doesn't mean it. He scolds the other and sends him on his way, back to his flower girl. It hurts when his friend laughs it off and leaves. The momentary hope dies and takes with it a piece of his heart.

 

The last time Kunsel sees Zack; his friend is lying pale and cold on a morgue table. Tseng presses a battered phone into his hand and leaves him alone with his regrets. ShinRa did this, he knows that. Used and abused his best friend before finally taking his life. Distantly, he wonders if there's a bullet with his name on it waiting for the moment he leaves. His breath catches as he opens the phone and reads the open message there before closing it and tucking it away. He leaves without looking back; the corpse on the table is not how he wants to remember his friend. There isn't a bullet waiting for him as he steps out of the doors and that, he thinks, will be a mistake that ShinRa regrets.


End file.
